Animal crate assembly

ABSTRACT

A crate assembly includes a plurality of members defining an interior of the crate assembly, where the plurality of members includes a front, a back, a top, a bottom, a first side and a second side. A frame is formed in one of the plurality of members, the frame having a plurality of interconnected horizontal and vertical wires that define a door opening. A door is pivotally coupled to the frame about a pivot wire of the frame to move between an open position and a closed position. A latch assembly is pivotally coupled to a horizontal wire of the frame. The latch assembly includes a wire having a first end, a second end and a transverse portion, the wire forming a first portion defined between the first end and the transverse portion and a second portion defined between the second end and the transverse portion.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 15/915,351, filed Mar. 8, 2018, the disclosure of which ishereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to an animal crate assembly, and, inparticular, to an animal crate assembly having a latching mechanism andshelf assembly.

BACKGROUND

The use of animal cages or crates is well known. Many conventional cageshave been developed over the years for housing animals of differentshapes, sizes, and types. For example, animal cages typically house petssuch as dogs and cats. Rabbits, rodents and other small animals havealso been known to be housed by such cages and are quite common. Otherconventional cages are used for farm animals when needed, includingducks and chickens. As cages have been further developed, theportability, safety, and ease of use have become points of emphasis.Some conventional cages, for example, have been designed to collapse toa compact structure for portability. Others have been designed to be oflight weight and from durable materials. Conventional cages have beendesigned for ease of transporting an animal. Some conventional cages aredesigned as exercise pens that provide an interior space that the animalcan move about, particularly outdoors.

Most conventional cages include at least one door for providing accessto the interior of the cage. The animal enters or exits the cage throughan opening when the door is opened, and the animal can be safelycontained in the cage when the door is closed. Many conventional cagesinclude a door that is latched or locked in its closed position with alatch, such as a slide bolt latch. A variety of latches have beenincorporated into the design of the door to allow a user to open, close,and or securely latch the door.

Many of these conventional designs have limitations, however. Withregards to an exercise pen, for example, the door is generally formed byan entire height and width of a panel or side member of the pen. Many ofthese doors are not able to be securely latched or may not prevent ananimal from escaping the crate assembly. In addition, due to the size ofthe door, it can be difficult for an owner to reach into the interior ofthe exercise pen and retrieve a desired animal when two or more animalsare enclosed therein.

In other conventional cages, the wire gauge used to manufacture the cagelacks robustness. In these instances, a caged animal may push or forcedifferent panels away from one another. In other instances, the cagedanimal may damage the cage or, even worse, injure themselves.

Therefore, a need exists for an improved animal crate assembly thatprovides better means for accessing the interior of the crate assemblyand increasing the safety of an animal when contained within theinterior.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, an animal crate assemblyincludes a plurality of members defining an interior of the crateassembly, where the plurality of members includes a front, a back, atop, a bottom, a first side and a second side; a door frame formed inone of the plurality of members, the door frame having a plurality ofinterconnected horizontal and vertical wires that define an opening foran animal to pass therethrough and to enter or exit the interior of thecrate assembly; a door comprising a plurality of interconnectedhorizontal and vertical wires and being pivotally coupled to the doorframe, the door being pivotable about a pivot wire of the frame to movebetween an open position and a closed position; and a hook member formedfrom a wire having a first end, a second end, and a hook portion, thehook member being coupled to the top and the hook portion extendingpartially downward where it intersects a plane in which the top isdisposed within; wherein, each of the plurality of members is formed bya plurality interconnected horizontal and vertical wires; wherein, thetop and door frame are coupled to one another; further wherein, the hookportion is positioned between a top perimeter wire of the top and aframe perimeter wire of the door frame such that the hook portion islocated within the interior of the crate assembly and behind the doorframe.

In one example of this embodiment, the top comprises a first wirepositioned parallel to the top perimeter wire, the hook member beingcoupled to the first wire and the top perimeter wire. In a secondexample, a cross wire has a length shorter than the first wire and thetop perimeter wire but being parallel therewith, the hook member beingcoupled to the cross wire. In a third example, the top comprises a firstwire and a second wire, the first and second wires being parallel to butoffset from one another, where the first and second wires areperpendicular to the top perimeter wire. In a fourth example, the hookmember is positioned between the first and second wires. In a fifthexample, a cross wire is coupled to the first wire, the second wire andthe hook member.

In a sixth example, the hook member comprises a first bend and a secondbend, where a first portion of the hook member is defined between thefirst end and the first bend and the second end and the second bend, andthe hook portion is defined between the first and second bends. In aseventh example, the first portion is defined within a first plane andthe hook portion is defined in a second plane. In an eighth example, thefirst plane and second plane are perpendicular to one another.

In a ninth example, a plurality of elongate hooks may couple the top anddoor frame to one another, where each of the plurality of elongate hookscomprises a wire having a first end and a second end, the second enddefining a hook opening for receiving the top perimeter wire of the topand the frame perimeter wire of the door frame. In a tenth example, atleast one side clip is formed by a wire having a first end, a secondend, and a receiving end, the receiving end coupling a second topperimeter wire of the top with the first side or the second side. In aneleventh example, a clip has a hollow body with a defined opening, theclip coupling one of the plurality of members with another of theplurality of members.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, a multi-level animalcrate assembly includes a plurality of members defining an interior ofthe crate assembly, the plurality of members includes a front, a back, atop, a bottom, a first side and a second side, wherein each of theplurality of members comprises a plurality of horizontal and verticalinterconnected wires; an upper level and a lower level formed by thefront, the back, the top, the bottom, the first side and the secondside, where the upper level is located above the lower level; a firstdoor frame formed in one of the plurality of members, the first doorframe comprising a plurality of interconnected horizontal and verticalwires that define an opening for an animal to pass therethrough and toenter or exit the interior at the upper level of the crate assembly; afirst door comprising a plurality of interconnected horizontal andvertical wires and being pivotally coupled to the first door frame, thefirst door being pivotable about a pivot wire of the first door frame tomove between an open position and a closed position; a second door frameformed in one of the plurality of members, the second door framecomprising a plurality of interconnected horizontal and vertical wiresthat define an opening for an animal to pass therethrough and to enteror exit the interior at the lower level of the crate assembly; a seconddoor comprising a plurality of interconnected horizontal and verticalwires and being pivotally coupled to the second door frame, the seconddoor being pivotable about a pivot wire of the second door frame to movebetween an open position and a closed position; and a hook member formedfrom a wire having a first end, a second end, and a hook portion, thehook member being coupled to the top such that the hook portion extendspartially downward where it intersects a plane in which the top isdisposed within; wherein, the top and first door frame are coupled toone another, the top including a top perimeter wire and the first doorframe including a frame perimeter wire; further wherein, the hookportion is positioned between the top perimeter wire and the frameperimeter wire such that the hook portion is located at least partiallywithin the interior of the crate assembly and behind the door frame.

In one example of this embodiment, the top comprises a first wire and across wire, the first wire and cross wire being positioned parallel tothe top perimeter wire such that the hook member is coupled to the firstwire, the cross wire and the top perimeter wire. In a second example,the cross wire comprises a length shorter than the first wire and thetop perimeter wire. In a third example, the top comprises a second wireand a third wire, the second and third wires being parallel to butoffset from one another; the first and second wires are perpendicular tothe top perimeter wire, the first wire and the cross wire; and the hookmember is positioned between the first and second wires and parallelthereto.

In a fourth example, the hook member comprises a first bend and a secondbend, where a first portion of the hook member is defined between thefirst end and the first bend and the second end and the second bend, andthe hook portion is defined between the first and second bends. In afifth example, the first portion is defined within a first plane and thehook portion is defined in a second plane, the first plane and secondplane being perpendicular to one another.

In a further embodiment of the present disclosure, an animal crateassembly includes a plurality of members defining an interior of thecrate assembly, where the plurality of members includes a front, a back,a top, a bottom, a first side and a second side; a door frame formed inone of the plurality of members, the door frame having a plurality ofinterconnected horizontal and vertical wires that define an opening foran animal to pass therethrough and to enter or exit the interior of thecrate assembly; a door comprising a plurality of interconnectedhorizontal and vertical wires and being pivotally coupled to the doorframe, the door being pivotable about a pivot wire of the door frame tomove between an open position and a closed position; a hook memberformed from a wire having a first end, a second end, and a hook portion,the hook member being coupled to the top and the hook portion extendingpartially downward where it intersects a plane in which the top isdisposed within; a plurality of elongate hooks for coupling the top anddoor frame to one another, where each of the plurality of elongate hookscomprises a wire having a first end and a second end, the second enddefining a hook opening for receiving the top perimeter wire of the topand the frame perimeter wire of the door frame; at least one side clipformed by a wire having a first end, a second end, and a receiving end,the receiving end coupling a second top perimeter wire of the top withthe first side or the second side; and a clip having a hollow body witha defined opening, the clip coupling one of the plurality of memberswith another of the plurality of members; wherein, the hook portion ispositioned between a top perimeter wire of the top and a frame perimeterwire of the door frame such that the hook portion is located within theinterior of the crate assembly and behind the door frame.

In one example of this embodiment, the hook member comprises a firstbend and a second bend, where a first portion of the hook member isdefined between the first end and the first bend and the second end andthe second bend, and the hook portion is defined between the first andsecond bends; and the first portion is defined within a first plane andthe hook portion is defined in a second plane, the first plane andsecond plane being perpendicular to one another.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above-mentioned aspects of the present disclosure and the manner ofobtaining them will become more apparent and the disclosure itself willbe better understood by reference to the following description of theembodiments of the disclosure, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a bottom perspective view of a multi-tier animal crateassembly;

FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of a single tier animal crateassembly;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a door frame and door assembly of FIG. 2with a latch in a rest position and the door in the closed position;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the door frame and door assembly of FIG.2 with the latch in a pivoted position and the door in a partiallyclosed position;

FIG. 5 is a bottom perspective view of a shelf assembly of the crateassembly of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a bottom perspective view of the shelf assembly of FIG. 5 withportions of the crate assembly removed;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the latch of FIG. 3 in its restposition;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a shelf hook of the shelf assembly ofFIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another crate assembly;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a top portion of the crate assembly ofFIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged perspective view of a clip located on the crateassembly of FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the clip of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is an enlarged perspective view of another clip located on thecrate assembly of FIG. 9;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the clip of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged perspective view of a top panel with a hookmember as part of the crate assembly of FIG. 9;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the combined clip and hook of FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of an elongatedhook coupled to the crate assembly of FIG. 9; and

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the elongated hook of FIG. 17.

Corresponding reference numerals are used to indicate correspondingparts throughout the several views.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The embodiments of the present disclosure described herein are notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the preciseforms disclosed in the following detailed description. Rather, theembodiments are chosen and described so that others skilled in the artappreciate and understand the principles and practices of the presentdisclosure.

The present disclosure relates to an animal crate assembly. The animalcrate assembly can be used for multiple purposes, such as to contain oneor more animals or objects. The crate assembly can be made of any sizefor accommodating an animal or object of any size. In addition, thecrate assembly can be made of different materials including aluminum,plastic, and steel. The crate assembly can be designed as an animal cageto define an interior that is surrounded at all sides, or it can bedesigned as an exercise pen in which at least one side is not present,for instance a top side.

Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary embodiment of an animal crate assembly100 is shown. The crate assembly 100 is in the form of a multi-tieredcrate assembly, but this is only intended to be one such embodiment. InFIG. 2, which will be described below, another crate assembly is shownas a single tier assembly.

In any event, the crate assembly 100 can be formed by a plurality ofsubstantially horizontal and vertical wires that overlap one another todefine an interior having a defined length, width and height toaccommodate an animal. One or more of the horizontal wires 132 can becoupled to one or more of the vertical wires 134, and vice versa, to addstructural integrity to the crate assembly 100. In other embodiments,wires are oriented in other directions than horizontal and vertical. Thewires may be welded, adhered, fastened, or coupled to one anotherthrough a variety of means. The crate assembly 100 can include aplurality of sides or members that form the crate assembly 100.

In FIG. 1, for example, the crate assembly 100 includes an upper level102 and a lower level 104. The upper level 102 and lower level 104 maybe similar. In some cases, there may be a panel disposed inbetween thelevels to allow for partial separation therebetween. In other cases,such as the embodiment of FIG. 1, there may not be any separating panel.The entire crate assembly 100 may be supported by a support frame 106.The support frame 106 may include one or more caster wheels 108 coupledto the bottom thereof to allow the crate assembly 100 to be portable.

The crate assembly 100 may include a front 110, a back 112, a top 114, afirst side 116, and a second side 118. The interior of the crateassembly 100 therefore is defined by the front 110, back 112, top 114,first side 116, second side 118, and support frame 106. The upper level102 may include the top 114, whereas the lower level 104 may not includea top or bottom as it rests or is coupled to the support frame 106.

The upper level 102 may be provided with a top door 120 and top doorframe 122 formed in the front 110 thereof. The top door 120 may bedisposable between a closed position (FIG. 1) and an open position (notshown). As will be described, the top door 120 may be latched orotherwise disposed in its closed position in such a way that an animalis unable to open the top door 120. This will be described below.

Similar to the upper level 102, the lower level 104 may also include abottom door 124 and a bottom door frame 126. The bottom door 124 andbottom door frame 126 are formed in the front 110 as shown in FIG. 1. Itis understood, however, that the top and bottom doors and door framesmay be formed in any one of the front, back, first side and second side.Moreover, it may be possible to incorporate a single door in the top114. The doors and door frames may be formed in the same side, such asthe front 110 in FIG. 1, but this too is not required. In otherembodiments, one of the two doors and door frames may be formed in thefront 110, and the other of the two doors and door frames may be formedin the back. In combination thereof is possible, and the illustratedembodiment of FIG. 1 is only intended to be one representation ofpossibilities with the crate assembly 100 described in the presentdisclosure.

In FIG. 1, the crate assembly 100 may also include a pair of shelves.Here, a first shelf assembly 128 may be disposed in the upper level 102of the crate assembly 100, and a second shelf assembly 130 may bedisposed in the lower level 104. Each shelf assembly may be securelycoupled to the crate assembly 100 to allow an animal to climb or movebetween levels. The manner in which the shelf assembly is coupled to thecrate assembly will be described in further detail below.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a different embodiment of a crate assembly 200is illustrated. Here, the crate assembly 200 is a single-tier assembly,but it includes many of the same features and design as the crateassembly 100 of FIG. 1. For instance, the crate assembly 200 includes asupport frame 202 that may include one or more caster wheels 204 coupledthereto. The caster wheels 204 may freely roll along a ground surface toallow the crate assembly 200 to be portable.

In addition, the crate assembly 200 may include a door frame 206 formedon at least one side thereof. A door 208 may be coupled to the doorframe 206, such that the door 208 may be configured between a closedposition (FIG. 2) and an open position. When the door 208 is in its openposition, a door opening is defined by the door frame 206 to allow ananimal to enter or exit an interior of the crate assembly 200.

As described, the door frame 206 and door 208 may be provided on anyside of the crate assembly 200. In FIG. 2, the crate assembly 200includes a top 210, a front (same side as door frame 206 and door 208),a back 212, a first side 214, and a second side 216. The different sidesmay be formed by a plurality of interconnecting horizontal and verticalwires. A shelf assembly 218 may also be disposed in the interior of thecrate assembly 200 and coupled to the door frame 206, the first side214, and the back 212, as will be described below.

The embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 introduce different types of crateassemblies. Other embodiments may depart from the embodiments of FIGS. 1and 2 and include any number of levels. In some cases, additional levelsmay be incorporated to the back or sides of the crate assembly such thata respective assembly has a greater length or width.

Turning to FIG. 3, one embodiment of a door assembly 300 that may beincorporated into the crate assemblies of FIGS. 1 and 2 is shown. Thedoor assembly 300 includes a door frame 302 and a door 330. The doorframe 302 may be coupled to one or more sides of an animal crateassembly via one or more wire clips 322. For example, in FIG. 2, thedoor frame 302 may be similar or the same as the door frame 206, and itmay couple via the wire clips 322 to the first side 214 and the secondside 216.

The door assembly 300 may be formed by a plurality of interconnectinghorizontal wires 304 and vertical wires 306. The plurality of horizontaland vertical wires may be spaced such that an animal is unable to get apaw or other body part caught or stuck between the wires.

In FIG. 3, the door frame 302 may include a top frame wire 308 at itsuppermost horizontal wire 306, and a bottom frame wire 310 as itslowermost horizontal wire 306. The door frame 302 also defines a dooropening, which is covered in FIG. 3 by the door 330 in its closedposition. The door opening is defined by a first horizontal frame wire312 of the door frame 302, a second horizontal frame wire 314, avertical pivot wire 328, and a first vertical wire 332. The firsthorizontal frame wire 312 defines an uppermost boundary of the dooropening, whereas the second horizontal frame wire 314 defines alowermost boundary of the door opening. The vertical pivot wire 328defines one side boundary and the first vertical wire 332 defines asecond side boundary of the door opening. The dimensions of the dooropening may be sized to allow different size animals to travel in or outof the crate assembly.

The door 330 may be pivotally coupled to the door frame 302 via thevertical pivot wire 328. For instance, the door 330 may also be formedby a plurality of interconnecting horizontal wires 334 and verticalwires 336. Each of the plurality of horizontal door wires 334 includes acurled end 338 which curls or bends around the vertical pivot wire 328to allow the door 330 to pivot relative to the door frame 302. Thecurled ends 338 securely fasten the door 330 to the pivot wire 328 toallow the door 330 to freely pivot thereabout, but it further allows thedoor 330 to slide vertically along the vertical pivot wire 328. Thus,the vertical and pivotal movement of the door 330 relative to the doorframe 302 allows the door 330 to move between its open and closedpositions.

As described above and shown in FIG. 3, the door 330 is formed by aplurality of interconnecting horizontal and vertical wires. Inparticular, the door 330 may include an outer door wire 340. The outerdoor wire 340 is formed by a single wire, and it forms a door top wire352 and a door bottom wire 350. The door top wire 352 is the uppermosthorizontal wire of the door 330, and the door bottom wire 350 is thelowermost horizontal wire of the door 330. Moreover, the outer door wire340 includes a vertical wire portion as well. The vertical portion ofthe outer door wire 340 is formed at the opposite end of the dooropening from the vertical pivot wire 328. As shown in FIG. 3, thevertical portion of the outer door wire 340 may form one or more tabopenings, which the function of will be described below. The one or moretab openings may be defined by a first wire portion 342 and a secondwire portion 344 in the embodiment of FIG. 3. Here, the first wireportion 342 and second wire portion 344 bend inwardly toward the dooropening. Each portion forms a pair of horizontal portions and a singlevertical portion such that both the first and second wire portions forma C-shaped structure. The C-shaped structure of the first wire portion342 and the second wire portion 344 therefore define a first tab opening346 and a second tab opening 348, respectively.

The door frame 302 may include one or more upright tabs 316 coupled toit. The upright tab 316 may extend upward beyond the door bottom wire350 when the door 330 is in the closed position. This provides enhancedsecurity to the door 330, and can prevent an animal from moving the door330 while contained within the interior of the crate assembly. Moreover,the upright tab 316 provides additional robustness to the overall crateassembly.

The door assembly 300 in FIG. 3 may also include a latch 324. The latch324 may be pivotally coupled to a pair of horizontal wires 326 affixedto the door frame 302. The pair of wires 326 may include shorter lengthscompared to the other horizontal frame wires 304 that makeup the doorframe 302. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the pair ofhorizontal wires 326 may span the gap between three of the plurality ofvertical frame wires 306 of the door frame 302.

The latch 324 and pair of horizontal wires 326 are shown in greaterdetail in FIG. 7. In FIG. 7, for example, the pair of horizontal wires326 includes a first horizontal wire 700 and a second horizontal wire702. Both of the horizontal wires 700, 702 may be coupled to the threevertical wires 306 as shown. The coupling may be via a welding,adhesive, or other known means. The three vertical wires are spacedapproximately equidistantly from one another, as is the case with theother vertical wires 306 that form the door frame 302. A middle verticalwire 704 is therefore spaced approximately equidistantly between the twoouter vertical wires in FIG. 7.

The latch 324 may be formed by a single latch wire 706, although inother embodiments it may also be possible for two or more wires to beconnected to one another to form the latch 324. In FIG. 7, the latchwire 706 comprises a first end 708 and a second end 710. The first end708 and second end 710 may be pivotally coupled to the first horizontalwire 700 as shown. Moreover, the latch wire 706 may slide horizontallyalong the first horizontal wire 700 in some instances. The latch wire706 includes a first curled portion 712 and a second curled portion 714that wrap generally around the first horizontal wire 700. The first end708 may be disposed in close proximity to or in contact with a firstelongate portion 716 of the latch wire 706, thereby maintaining thepivotal connection with the first horizontal wire 700. Likewise, thesecond end 710 may be disposed in close proximity to or in contact witha second elongate portion 718 thereby maintaining the pivotal connectionwith the first horizontal wire 700.

The first elongate portion 716 is disposed between the first curledportion 712 and a first bend 720 in the latch wire 706. Likewise, thesecond elongate portion 718 is disposed between the second curledportion 714 and a second bend 722. A first curve portion 724 of the wire706 curls in a C-shaped form from the first bend 720 to a firsttransverse bend 732. Moreover, a second curve portion 726 of the latchwire 706 curls in a C-shaped form from the second bend 722 to a secondtransverse bend 730. The latch wire 706 forms a transverse portion 728between the first transverse bend 732 and the second transverse bend730.

The structural design of the latch 324 is such that the first end 708,the first curled portion 712, the first elongate portion 716, the firstbend 720, the first curve portion 724, and the first transverse bend 732may lie within a first plane, B. In addition, the second end 710, thesecond curled portion 714, the second elongate portion 718, the secondbend 722, the second curve portion 726, and the second transverse bend730 may lie within a second plane, A. Moreover, the transverse portion728 of the latch wire 706 may lie in a horizontal plane, C. In thisembodiment, the first plane B and second plane A may be offset from andparallel to one another. As such, the first plane B and second lane Amay be perpendicular to the third plane C.

Although not labelled in FIG. 7, the middle vertical wire 704 of thedoor frame 302 may be disposed along a substantially vertical axis. Thevertical axis, and thus the middle vertical wire 704, may be disposed ata location between the first plane B and second plane A, and may furtherbe perpendicular to the third plane C.

The latch 324 may be designed such that its weight causes the latch 324to hang from the first horizontal wire 700. Due to gravity, the firstelongate portion 716 and second elongate portion 718 of the latch wire706 may contact in a rest position against the second horizontal wire702. Further, the transverse portion 728 may rest against the verticalwire 704.

As shown in FIG. 3, the latch 324 may hang due its weight in a positionsuch that the top door wire 352 is located below the first and secondcurve portions of the latch wire 706 when the door 330 is in its closedposition. Thus, in the closed position, the door 330 may not be liftedto slide along the vertical pivot wire 328 due to interference betweenthe latch 324 and the top door wire 352. To lift the door 330, the latch324 must first be pivoted about the first horizontal wire 700 to provideclearance between the latch 324 and the door 330. This is shown in FIG.4 and will be described in detail below.

The manner in which the door 330 is moved from its closed position toits open position is further illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. The doorframe 302 may include a plurality of side tabs for securely maintainingthe door 330 in its closed position. In FIG. 3, a first side tab 318 anda second side tab 320 are shown. These side tabs are disposed in ahorizontal orientation and affixed to one or more vertical wires 306 ofthe door frame 302. In the closed position, the door 330 is positionedsuch that a portion of the door 330 overlaps the door frame 302 and islocated behind the first and second side tabs 318, 320. In particular,the outer door wire 340 of the door 330 is located between the doorframe 302 and the first and second side tabs 318, 320.

When opening the door 330, the latch 324 may first be pivoted upwardabout the first horizontal wire 700 to a pivot position 402 as shown inFIG. 4. Once the latch 324 is moved out of the way, the door 330 may beraised in an upward direction indicated by arrow 400 in FIG. 4. Asdescribed above, the door 330 includes an outer door wire 340 that isoriented in a substantially vertical direction along the majority of itslength. However, as also described above, there are two offset wireportions 342, 344 that form tab openings 346, 348, respectively. Thesetab openings 346, 348 are sized appropriately to allow the door 330 topivot about the vertical pivot wire 328 once the first side tab 318 isaligned with the first tab opening 346 and the second side tab 320 isaligned with the second tab opening 348. This is shown in FIG. 4 wherethe first side tab 318 is in an unlatched position 404 and the secondside tab 320 is in an unlatched position 406. In particular, the firstside tab 318 and the second side tab 320 comprise a tab end portion 408that may be formed by a curvature in a single wire forming each tab. Thetab end portion 408 may extend horizontally past the first vertical wire332 of the door frame 302 that forms a side boundary of the dooropening. As the door 330 is pivoted about the vertical pivot wire 328,the tab end portion 408 may pass through the first tab opening 346 andthe second tab opening 348, thereby allowing the door 330 to pivot withrespect to the door frame 302.

As described with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2, each of the illustratedcrate assemblies included at least one shelf assembly. It is to beunderstood, however, that the present disclosure is not limited to onlythose crate assemblies that have a shelf assembly. With that said, inFIGS. 5 and 6, an example of one embodiment of a shelf assembly 500 thatmay be implemented in a crate assembly is shown. Here, the shelfassembly 500 may be similar to the top shelf 128 and bottom shelf 130 ofFIG. 1 and/or the shelf 218 of FIG. 2.

The shelf assembly 500 is shown being coupled to a crate assembly havinga door frame 526 similar to the door frame 302 of FIG. 3. This is shownincluding the upright tab 316 and second side tab 320 as describedabove. It is to be understood however that any crate assembly may beused, and that reference to the door frame 302 of FIG. 3 is onlyintended to be one such example.

The shelf assembly 500 is illustrated as including a front end 502, arear end 504, a first side end 506 and a second side end 508. Due to theorientation of the view of FIG. 5, a top end 510 is not clearly visible,but a bottom surface 600 is shown.

The shelf assembly 500 may include a wire frame 512 as shown in FIGS. 5and 6. The shelf wire frame 512 is shown in greater detail in FIG. 6 inwhich it may include a first wire 606, a second wire 608, a third wire610, and a seventh wire 618 oriented in the same direction but offsetfrom one another. The frame 512 may also include a fourth wire 612, afifth wire 614, and a sixth wire 616 oriented in the same direction butoffset from one another. The first, second, third and seventh wires maybe perpendicular to the fourth, fifth, and sixth wires, as shown in FIG.6. The wires may overlap or interconnect with one another to form theshelf wire frame 512.

The shelf assembly 500 may be substantially rectangularly or squareshaped. Other shaped designs may be used for the shelf. For purposes ofFIGS. 5 and 6, however, the front end 502 and first side end 506 mayconverge at a first corner 620. Here, the material that forms the shelfis close-ended. The front end 502 and second side end 508 may convergeat a third corner 624. As shown, the third corner 624 of the shelfassembly 500 is at least partially open-ended, i.e., there is a gapdefined between portions of the front end 502 and second side end 508.

The back end 504 of the shelf assembly 500 may converge with the firstside end 506 at a second corner 622 as shown in FIG. 6. Like the firstcorner 620, the second corner 622 may be formed as close-ended. Theclose-ended corners may be smooth and curved such that an animal may notget injured or caught by the respective corner. Thus, the close-endedcorners may be disposed within the crate assembly facing the interior ofthe crate rather than a side panel 528 of the crate assembly. The backend 504 and the second side end 508 may converge at a fourth corner 626that is formed as partially open-ended. Again, as shown in FIG. 5, thethird corner 624 and fourth corner 626 may be disposed proximal to theside panel 528, whereas the first and second corners 620, 622 aredisposed distal from the side panel 528.

The shelf assembly 500 may be designed such that the top end 510 ismostly smooth so as to not injure an animal positioned thereon. Toincorporate the shelf frame 512, however, the front end 502, back end504, first side end 506, and second side end 508 may defined a recess604 between each respective end and an edge 602 of the bottom surface600. This is shown in FIG. 6. In other words, the top end 510 of theshelf assembly may form a small cavity such that the front end 502, backend 504, first side end 506, and second side end 508 form side wallsdefining a cavity on the top end 510 of the shelf assembly 500. Theshelf assembly 500 thus forms a concave structure on the top end. This,however, is not required in all embodiments. In other embodiments, a topsurface of the shelf assembly 500 may be flush with the front end 502,back end 504, first side end 506, and second side end 508.

On the bottom side of the shelf assembly 500, however, the shelf wireframe 512 is able to fit within the recess 604 defined about theperimeter edge 602 of the bottom surface 600. The frame 512 may bewelded, adhered, or mechanically coupled to the shelf body, or the bodymay simply rest within the shelf wire frame 512.

As for coupling the shelf assembly 500 to the crate assembly, this isshown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 8. The shelf assembly 500 may include a firstelongate wire 514 and a second elongate wire 516 which extend the lengthof the shelf assembly 500. The first and second elongate wires 514, 516may be substantially parallel to one another but offset. Each of theelongate wires may be parallel to the first wire 606, second wire 608,third wire 610 and seventh wire 618. Moreover, the first and secondelongate wires 514, 516 may be coupled to the fourth wire 612, fifthwire 614, and sixth wire 616.

The first and second elongate wires include a first hook end 518 and asecond hook end 520. As shown in FIG. 5, the first hook ends 518 of thefirst and second elongate wires may be coupled to a door framehorizontal wire 530. Although not shown, the second hook ends 520 of thefirst and second elongate wires 514, 516 may be coupled to a horizontalwire located on a panel opposite the door frame 526 of the crateassembly. Thus, through the connection of the hook ends to the doorframe and opposite panel, the shelf assembly 500 may be coupled to thecrate assembly.

The shelf assembly 500 may also include one or more shelf hooks. In FIG.5, for example, one embodiment is illustrated in which the shelfassembly 500 includes a first shelf hook 522 and a second shelf hook524. The shelf hooks may comprise a single wire that is coupled to thethird wire 610 and seventh wire 618 of the shelf wire frame 512.

An example of the first shelf hook 522 and the second shelf hook 524 isdepicted in FIG. 8. Here, the shelf hook may be formed by a single shelfhook wire 800. In other embodiments, two or more wires may be coupled toone another to form the shelf hook. In FIG. 8, however, the shelf hookwire 800 may include a first end 802 and a second end 804. The wire 800may be continuous from the first end 802 to the second end 804. Theshelf hook wire 800 may include a first elongate portion 806 thatextends from the first end 802 and a second elongate portion 808 thatextends from the second end 804. The first and second elongate portions806, 808 may be coupled to the third wire 610 and seventh wire 618 ofthe shelf wire frame 512 as shown in FIG. 8.

The shelf hook wire 800 may include a plurality of bends between itsrespective elongate portions and a curved portion 818 located oppositethe first and second ends 802, 804. In particular, the first elongateportion 806 extends from the first end 802 to a first bend 810, and thesecond elongate portion 808 extends from the second end 804 to a secondbend 812. The wire 800 continues from the first bend 810 to a third bend814, and from the second bend 812 to a fourth bend 814. The shelf hookwire 800 further extends from the third bend 814 and fourth bend 816 toconverge at the curved portion 818 as shown in FIG. 8. The shape of theshelf hook wire 800 forms a substantially V-shape between the first bend810, third bend 814, and curved portion 818, and likewise between thesecond bend 812, the fourth bend 816, and the curved portion 818.

The substantially V-shaped design of the shelf hook opposite the firstand second ends thereof may be used for securing the shelf assembly 500to the side panel 528. For example, and as shown in FIG. 5, the sidepanel 528 is formed by a plurality of horizontal wires (and verticalwires) including a side panel horizontal wire 532. This side panelhorizontal wire 532 may be disposed within a V-shaped catch portion 820defined by the shelf wire 800. In particular, the side panel horizontalwire 532 may be in contact with each of the first and second shelf hooks522, 524 when the shelf assembly 500 is coupled to the door frame 526and side panel 528.

The shelf hooks 522, 524 allow for the shelf to be securely coupled toat least three different panels that form the crate assembly. Moreover,it provides additional safety to an animal that may be positioned on theshelf. Without the first and second shelf hooks, an animal may applypressure (i.e., by laying or standing) to the first end 506 of the shelfassembly 500. In doing so, the shelf assembly 500 may be inclined totilt in that direction, and particularly since there is no resistance orcoupling to the side panel. In the present embodiment of FIG. 5,however, the first and second shelf hooks 522, 524 generally couple theshelf assembly 500 to the side panel 528 to prevent the shelf fromtilting under these circumstances.

The unique design of the shelf hooks also provides additional sturdinessto the crate assembly. In some instances, an animal may push outwardlyagainst the side panel 528 when disposed on the shelf assembly 500.Without the shelf hooks, the side panel 528 may be pushed away from theshelf assembly 500, and thereby creating a gap or space therebetween. Ifthe animal loses its balance, for example, it may fall or have a paw orother body part become caught in this space. An injury may result to theanimal. The shelf hooks, however, can securely couple the shelf assembly500 to the side panel 528 such that if an animal does push outwardlyagainst the side panel 528, the shelf hooks resist the side panelpulling away from the shelf assembly 500 and forming any gap or spacetherebetween. Thus, possible injury to the animal can be avoided underthese circumstances.

Depending upon the size of the crate assembly, it may be desirable toinclude more than two shelf hooks. The present disclosure is intended tocover any shelf assembly having one or more shelf hooks for coupling toa panel of the shelf assembly. Moreover, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, theshelf hooks may be coupled to the shelf wire frame along the same sideof the shelf assembly that comprises the open-ended corners. With thisdesign, the shelf assembly may be coupled to either side panel of thecrate assembly, with the closed-ended corners of the shelf beingoriented towards the interior of the crate assembly.

In FIG. 9, another embodiment of an animal crate assembly 900 is shown.The crate assembly 900 is shown in the form of a multi-tiered crateassembly, but this is only intended to be one such embodiment. However,the principles and teachings of this application extend beyond amulti-tiered crate assembly and equally apply to a single level crateassembly.

In any event, the crate assembly 900 can be formed by a plurality ofsubstantially horizontal and vertical wires that overlap and/orinterconnect with one another to define an interior having a definedlength, width and height to accommodate an animal. One or more of thehorizontal wires 932 can be coupled to one or more of the vertical wires934, and vice versa, to add structural integrity to the crate assembly900. In other embodiments, wires may be oriented in other directionsthan horizontal and vertical. The wires may be welded, adhered,fastened, or coupled to one another through a variety of means. Thecrate assembly 900 can include a plurality of sides or members that formthe crate assembly 900.

In FIG. 9, for example, the crate assembly 900 includes an upper level902 and a lower level 904. The upper level 902 and lower level 904 maybe similar. In some cases, there may be a panel disposed inbetween thelevels to allow for partial separation therebetween. In other cases,such as the embodiment of FIG. 1, there may not be any separating panel.The entire crate assembly 900 may be supported by a support frame, whichis not shown in FIG. 9 (see FIG. 1 for an example of a support frame106). The support frame may include one or more caster wheels coupled tothe bottom thereof to allow the crate assembly 900 to be portable.

The crate assembly 900 may include a front 910, a back 912, a top 914, afirst side 916, and a second side 918. The interior of the crateassembly 900 therefore is defined by the front 910, back 912, top 914,first side 916, second side 918, and support frame (if provided). If nosupport frame is provided, a ground surface or other bottom surface mayhelp define the interior of the crate assembly 900. The upper level 902may include the top 914, whereas the lower level 904 may not include atop or bottom as it rests or is coupled to the support frame.

The upper level 902 may be provided with a top door 920 and top doorframe 922 formed in the front 910 thereof. The top door 920 may bedisposable between a closed position (FIG. 1) and an open position (FIG.10). As will be described, the top door 920 may include a latch 928 forlatching or securing the door 920 in its closed position in such a waythat an animal is unable to open the top door 920. This will bedescribed below.

Similar to the upper level 902, the lower level 904 may also include abottom door 924 and a bottom door frame 926. The bottom door 924 andbottom door frame 926 are formed in the front 910 as shown in FIG. 9. Asecond latch 930 may be used for securing the door 924 in a closedposition, as shown in FIG. 9. It is understood, however, that the topand bottom doors and door frames may be formed in any one of the front,back, first side and second side. Moreover, it may be possible toincorporate a single door in the top 914. The doors and door frames maybe formed in the same side, such as the front 910 in FIG. 9, but thistoo is not required. In other embodiments, one of the two doors and doorframes may be formed in the front 910, and the other of the two doorsand door frames may be formed in the back. Any combination thereof ispossible, and the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 9 is only intended tobe one representation of possibilities with the crate assembly 900described in the present disclosure.

In FIG. 9, the crate assembly 900 may also include one or more shelves(not shown) similar to what is depicted in FIG. 1. Each shelf assemblymay be securely coupled to the crate assembly 900 to allow an animal toclimb or move between levels. The manner in which the shelf assembly iscoupled to the crate assembly is described above.

Referring now to FIG. 10, only the top portion 902 of the crate assembly900 is shown. In some embodiments, the top portion 902 may form a singlelevel crate assembly 900 and thus the principles and teachings relatedthereto apply to any crate assembly having one or more levels or tiers.Here, the top door 920 is shown with only one door rather than twoindividual doors. The second door is left off to better illustrate thefeatures of the crate assembly 900. Each door 920, however, may bepivotally coupled to the door frame 922. The door frame 922 may form aninternal perimeter via a pair of horizontal wires and a pair of verticalwires which define a door opening 1010. Each vertical wire that formsthe perimeter of the door opening 1010 is a pivot wire 1000. In thismanner, each door 920 may include one or more horizontal wires 1006which are wrapped around and pivotally coupled to the respective pivotwire 1000 to allow the door 920 to pivot between its closed position andan open position 1008.

Each door 920 may also include a first connector 1002 and a secondconnector 1004. The first connector 1002 and second connector 1004 maybe formed from the same wire, where the first connector 1002 is locatedat a top end of the door 920 and the second connector 1004 is located ata bottom end thereof. The first connector 1002 may couple to a verticalwire of the door frame 922 when the door 920 is in its closed position.Likewise, the second connector 1004 may couple to another vertical wireof the door frame 922 in the closed position.

Referring to FIGS. 10-12, the crate assembly 900 may include one or moreclips 1100 as shown. In FIG. 11, the clip 1100 is shown coupling a firstwire 1102 of the top 914 with a horizontal wire 1106 of the back 912.The top 914 may be formed by a plurality of wires which interconnectwith one another such as the first wire 1102 and a second wire 1104. Thetwo wires may interconnect in such a way that both are substantiallyperpendicular to one another. Similarly, the back 912 may include aplurality of interconnecting horizontal and vertical wires such as thehorizontal wire 1106 and vertical wire 1108 shown in FIG. 11.

The clip 1100 may include an outer body 1200 which is substantiallyhollow and defines an opening 1202 on both ends thereof. The opening1202 may be oval or circularly-shaped. Other designs or shapes are alsopossible. The clip 1100 may be formed of a sheet of metal such that itis folded or clamped to hold two different sides of the crate assemblytogether.

In FIG. 9, the top 914 and back 912 may be coupled to one another viatwo or more clips 1100. In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 9, thereare five clips 1100 used to couple the back 912 and top 914 to oneanother. In other embodiments, one or more clips 1100 may be used.

The clip 1100 may also be used to allow limited movement when it isclamped. For example, in FIG. 10, the clip 1100 is used with the latch928. The latch 928 may be coupled to the door 920 via one or more clips.In this arrangement, the latch 928 may pivot or slide within the opening1202.

Turning now to FIGS. 10 and 13-14, the crate assembly 900 may alsoinclude one or more side clips 1300. The side clip 1300 may be used inplace of the clip 1100. The side clip 1300 may be formed from a singlewire 1402 having a first end and a second end spaced from one another bya small gap 1400. The side clip 1300 may include a receiving end 1404,as shown in FIG. 14. The receiving end 1404 may be configured to engagetwo or more wires from at least two different sides of the crateassembly 900. For example, in FIG. 13, the top 914 may include aperimeter wire 1302 disposed adjacent to a first horizontal wire 1304 ofthe first side 916. The first side 916 may be formed by a plurality ofinterconnecting horizontal and vertical wires including the firsthorizontal wire 1304 and a second horizontal wire 1306.

In the coupled arrangement of FIG. 13, the top 914 and first side 916may be coupled to one another by using the side clip 1300 to couple theperimeter wire 1302 and first horizontal wire 1304 via the receiving end1404.

The single wire 1402 of the side clip 1300 may include a plurality ofbends which form the shape of the clip 1300. In particular, as shown inFIG. 14, the side clip 1300 may include a first bend 1406 and a secondbend 1408 located near the gap 1400. The wire 1402 then includes a pairof elongated portions as shown in FIG. 14. A first elongated portion isdefined between the first bend 1406 and a fourth bend 1412, and a secondelongated portion is defined between the second bend 1408 and a thirdbend 1410. The third and fourth bends are located at the receiving end1404 of the side clip 1300. In addition, a fifth bend 1414, a sixth bend1416, a seventh bend 1418, and an eighth bend 1420 are located at thereceiving end 1404 thereof. A straight portion 1422 may be definedbetween the seventh bend 1418 and the eighth bend 1420, as shown in FIG.14.

Referring to FIGS. 9-10 and 15-16, the crate assembly 900 may include ahook member 1500. The hook member 1500 is shown in FIG. 16 where it maybe formed by a single wire 1600 having a first end 1602 and a second end1604. The hook member 1500 may also include a first bend 1608 and asecond bend 1610, as illustrated. The hook member 1500 includes a firstelongate portion 1614 defined between the first end 1602 and the secondbend 1610, and a second elongate portion 1616 defined between the secondend 1604 and the first bend 1608. The first and second elongate portionsmay lie within a first plane. However, the hook member 1500 may alsoinclude a hook portion 1606 partially formed by the first and secondbends. As shown in FIG. 16, the single wire 1600 forms a substantiallyU-shaped hook portion 1606 between the first bend 1608 and the secondbend 1610, and the hook portion 1606 may be disposed within a secondplane. In one example, the first plane and second plane may beperpendicular to one another. In another example, the first and secondplanes may be angled with respect to one another. As will be described,the hook portion 1606 may form a blocking end 1612.

Referring to FIGS. 9-10 and 15, the hook member 1500 may be coupled tothe top 914. In particular, the hook member 1500 may be coupled to a topwire 1512 and a top perimeter wire 1508. The top perimeter wire 1508 mayform an outer perimeter of the top 914, and the top perimeter wire 1508may be located adjacent to a horizontal perimeter wire 1510 of the topdoor frame 922.

The top 914 may also include a first top wire 1502 and a second top wire1504. The first and second top wires may be perpendicular to the topwire 1512 and top perimeter wire 1508. Moreover, the hook member 1500may be located between the first top wire 1502 and the second top wire1504, as shown. A cross wire 1506 is shown coupled between the first topwire 1502 and the second top wire 1504. The hook member 1500 may also becoupled to the cross wire 1506 to further support the hook member 1500.Thus, the hook member 1500 may be coupled to at least two or more wiresof the top 914. Further, the hook member 1500 may be coupled to the topperimeter wire 1508 at or near the first and second bends.

In use, the hook member 1500 is positioned behind the door frame 922, asshown in FIG. 15. In particular, the hook member 1500 may contact thehorizontal perimeter wire 1510 in at least two locations. In FIG. 15,the hook member 1500 may engage or contact the horizontal perimeter wire1510 at a first contact location 1514 and a second contact location1516. It is noted, however, that the hook member 1500 only contacts thehorizontal perimeter wire 1510 and is not affixed or permanently coupledthereto. In this arrangement, the hook member 1500 provides support tothe door frame 922 and prevents the door frame 922 from flexing inward,i.e., towards the interior of the crate assembly 900.

Referring to FIGS. 9-10 and 17-18 of the present disclosure, an elongatehook 1700 is shown. Unlike the hook member 1500 of FIG. 15, the elongatehook 1700 is designed to couple the top 914 and door frame 922 to oneanother. The elongate hook 1700 may be formed of a single wire 1800having a first end 1802 and a second end 1804. At the second end 1804,the single wire 1800 forms a hook portion 1806. The hook portion 1806may define an opening 1808 as shown. The opening 1808 is formed becausethe first end 1802 and second end 1804 may be aligned offset from oneanother, as shown in FIG. 18.

Turning to FIG. 17, the elongate hook 1700 is able to couple the top anddoor frame to one another. Specifically, the top 914 may include aperimeter wire 1702 and the door frame 922 may include a perimeter wire1704. For sake of clarity, the perimeter wire 1702 of the top 914 may bethe same as the top perimeter wire 1508 of FIG. 15. Further, theperimeter wire 1704 of the door frame 922 may correspond with thehorizontal perimeter wire 1510 of FIG. 15. The hook portion 1806 of theelongate hook 1700 may capture the perimeter wire 1702 of the top 914and the perimeter wire 1704 of the door frame 922 in the opening 1808 tocouple the top 914 and door frame 922 to one another.

While exemplary embodiments incorporating the principles of the presentdisclosure have been disclosed herein, the present disclosure is notlimited to the disclosed embodiments. Instead, this disclosure isintended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the disclosureusing its general principles. Further, this application is intended tocover such departures from the present disclosure as come within knownor customary practice in the art to which this disclosure pertains andwhich fall within the limits of the appended claims.

1. An animal crate assembly, comprising: a plurality of members definingan interior of the crate assembly, where the plurality of membersincludes a front, a back, a top, a bottom, a first side and a secondside; a door frame formed in one of the plurality of members, the doorframe having a plurality of interconnected horizontal and vertical wiresthat define an opening for an animal to pass therethrough and to enteror exit the interior of the crate assembly; a door comprising aplurality of interconnected horizontal and vertical wires and beingpivotally coupled to the door frame, the door being pivotable about apivot wire of the frame to move between an open position and a closedposition; and a hook member formed from a wire having a first end, asecond end, and a hook portion, the hook member being coupled to the topand the hook portion extending partially downward where it intersects aplane in which the top is disposed within; wherein, each of theplurality of members is formed by a plurality interconnected horizontaland vertical wires; wherein, the top and door frame are coupled to oneanother; further wherein, the hook portion is positioned between a topperimeter wire of the top and a frame perimeter wire of the door framesuch that the hook portion is located within the interior of the crateassembly and behind the door frame.
 2. The crate assembly of claim 1,wherein the top comprises a first wire positioned parallel to the topperimeter wire, the hook member being coupled to the first wire and thetop perimeter wire.
 3. The crate assembly of claim 2, further comprisinga cross wire having a length shorter than the first wire and the topperimeter wire but being parallel therewith, the hook member beingcoupled to the cross wire.
 4. The crate assembly of claim 1, wherein thetop comprises a first wire and a second wire, the first and second wiresbeing parallel to but offset from one another, where the first andsecond wires are perpendicular to the top perimeter wire.
 5. The crateassembly of claim 4, wherein the hook member is positioned between thefirst and second wires.
 6. The crate assembly of claim 4, wherein across wire is coupled to the first wire, the second wire and the hookmember.
 7. The crate assembly of claim 1, wherein the hook membercomprises a first bend and a second bend, where a first portion of thehook member is defined between the first end and the first bend and thesecond end and the second bend, and the hook portion is defined betweenthe first and second bends.
 8. The crate assembly of claim 7, whereinthe first portion is defined within a first plane and the hook portionis defined in a second plane.
 9. The crate assembly of claim 1, whereinthe hook member contacts the frame perimeter wire in at least twolocations.
 10. The crate assembly of claim 1, further comprising aplurality of elongate hooks for coupling the top and door frame to oneanother, where each of the plurality of elongate hooks comprises a wirehaving a first end and a second end, the second end defining a hookopening for receiving the top perimeter wire of the top and the frameperimeter wire of the door frame.
 11. The crate assembly of claim 1,further comprising at least one side clip formed by a wire having afirst end, a second end, and a receiving end, the receiving end couplinga second top perimeter wire of the top with the first side or the secondside.
 12. The crate assembly of claim 1, further comprising a cliphaving a hollow body with a defined opening, the clip coupling one ofthe plurality of members with another of the plurality of members.
 13. Amulti-level animal crate assembly, comprising: a plurality of membersdefining an interior of the crate assembly, the plurality of membersincludes a front, a back, a top, a bottom, a first side and a secondside, wherein each of the plurality of members comprises a plurality ofhorizontal and vertical interconnected wires; an upper level and a lowerlevel formed by the front, the back, the top, the bottom, the first sideand the second side, where the upper level is located above the lowerlevel; a first door frame formed in one of the plurality of members, thefirst door frame comprising a plurality of interconnected horizontal andvertical wires that define an opening for an animal to pass therethroughand to enter or exit the interior at the upper level of the crateassembly; a first door comprising a plurality of interconnectedhorizontal and vertical wires and being pivotally coupled to the firstdoor frame, the first door being pivotable about a pivot wire of thefirst door frame to move between an open position and a closed position;a second door frame formed in one of the plurality of members, thesecond door frame comprising a plurality of interconnected horizontaland vertical wires that define an opening for an animal to passtherethrough and to enter or exit the interior at the lower level of thecrate assembly; a second door comprising a plurality of interconnectedhorizontal and vertical wires and being pivotally coupled to the seconddoor frame, the second door being pivotable about a pivot wire of thesecond door frame to move between an open position and a closedposition; and a hook member formed from a wire having a first end, asecond end, and a hook portion, the hook member being coupled to the topsuch that the hook portion extends partially downward where itintersects a plane in which the top is disposed within; wherein, the topand first door frame are coupled to one another, the top including a topperimeter wire and the first door frame including a frame perimeterwire; further wherein, the hook portion is positioned between the topperimeter wire and the frame perimeter wire such that the hook portionis located at least partially within the interior of the crate assemblyand behind the door frame.
 14. The crate assembly of claim 13, whereinthe top comprises a first wire and a cross wire, the first wire andcross wire being positioned parallel to the top perimeter wire such thatthe hook member is coupled to the first wire, the cross wire and the topperimeter wire.
 15. The crate assembly of claim 14, wherein the crosswire comprises a length shorter than the first wire and the topperimeter wire.
 16. The crate assembly of claim 14, wherein: the topcomprises a second wire and a third wire, the second and third wiresbeing parallel to but offset from one another; the first and secondwires are perpendicular to the top perimeter wire, the first wire andthe cross wire; and the hook member is positioned between the first andsecond wires and parallel thereto.
 17. The crate assembly of claim 13,wherein the hook member comprises a first bend and a second bend, wherea first portion of the hook member is defined between the first end andthe first bend and the second end and the second bend, and the hookportion is defined between the first and second bends.
 18. The crateassembly of claim 17, wherein the first portion is defined within afirst plane and the hook portion is defined in a second plane, the firstplane and second plane being perpendicular to one another.
 19. An animalcrate assembly, comprising: a plurality of members defining an interiorof the crate assembly, where the plurality of members includes a front,a back, a top, a bottom, a first side and a second side; a door frameformed in one of the plurality of members, the door frame having aplurality of interconnected horizontal and vertical wires that define anopening for an animal to pass therethrough and to enter or exit theinterior of the crate assembly; a door comprising a plurality ofinterconnected horizontal and vertical wires and being pivotally coupledto the door frame, the door being pivotable about a pivot wire of thedoor frame to move between an open position and a closed position; ahook member formed from a wire having a first end, a second end, and ahook portion, the hook member being coupled to the top and the hookportion extending partially downward where it intersects a plane inwhich the top is disposed within; a plurality of elongate hooks forcoupling the top and door frame to one another, where each of theplurality of elongate hooks comprises a wire having a first end and asecond end, the second end defining a hook opening for receiving the topperimeter wire of the top and the frame perimeter wire of the doorframe; at least one side clip formed by a wire having a first end, asecond end, and a receiving end, the receiving end coupling a second topperimeter wire of the top with the first side or the second side; and aclip having a hollow body with a defined opening, the clip coupling oneof the plurality of members with another of the plurality of members;wherein, the hook portion is positioned between a top perimeter wire ofthe top and a frame perimeter wire of the door frame such that the hookportion is located within the interior of the crate assembly and behindthe door frame.
 20. The crate assembly of claim 19, wherein: the hookmember comprises a first bend and a second bend, where a first portionof the hook member is defined between the first end and the first bendand the second end and the second bend, and the hook portion is definedbetween the first and second bends; and the first portion is definedwithin a first plane and the hook portion is defined in a second plane,the first plane and second plane being perpendicular to one another.